Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Amazon: Unfair Practices

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the role of the UK in the EU’s investigation into possible data misuse by Amazon.

lord duncan of springbank: The Government has made no such assessment. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for enforcing competition law in the UK. The CMA will work with the European Commission during this investigation.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Middle East: Crimes against Humanity

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they are having with those countries which favour the creation of an ad hoc international tribunal to prosecute those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity in Iraq and Syria.

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they intend to take in response to evidence that has been collected of crimes against humanity and genocide in Iraq and Syria.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK, with our international partners, is committed to highlighting the appalling violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in Syria and Iraq and to seeing those responsible for the most serious crimes held to account in the most appropriate jurisdiction. We will continue to support the UN International Impartial and Independent Mechanism in Syria and the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Daesh in Iraq to gather evidence and prepare files that could be used for future prosecution in international or national courts. We will also continue to work closely with international partners in pursuit of justice for those, including foreign terrorist fighters, who committed crimes on behalf of Daesh in Syria and Iraq.

Syria: Islamic State

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the detonation of a car bomb outside of a church in Qamishli on 11 July, what steps are being taken to coordinate security for the people of the region from Daesh between the Global Coalition Against Daesh and the government of Syria.

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the detonation of a car bomb outsideof a church in Qamishli on 11 July, what representations they have made to the Global Coalition Against Daesh to cooperate with the government of Syria's security forces in the fight against Daesh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We are aware that Daesh has claimed responsibility for an attack near the Syriac Orthodox Church of the Virgin Mary in Qamishli, north-east Syria. We strongly condemn all attacks on places of worship. The UK continues to work with our partners in the Global Coalition Against Daesh to tackle the Daesh insurgency in Syria and Iraq. The UK position is that the Assad regime has lost all legitimacy as a result of its atrocities against the Syrian people. We therefore have no intention of encouraging the Global Coalition to cooperate with its security forces.

Israel: European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 6 March 2018 (HL5686) which stated that they are"firmly opposed to sanctions or boycotts against Israel", what representations they are making to the European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation about its decision to cancel its planned conference in Israel, allegedly due to fear that it will come under pressure from the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is strongly opposed to the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel. Boycotts divide people and reduce understanding, but ultimately it will be the decision of an individual, organisation or company whether to operate in Israel. We believe the best way to combat this movement is through discussion rather than legislation.

Hotheifa Bader Khalifa

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations theyhave made to the government of Israel about the imprisonment of Hotheifa Bader Khalifa under an Administrative Detention order since May 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of the case of Hotheifa Bader Khalifa. While we have not raised the matter with our Israeli counterparts, we remain concerned about Israel’s use of administrative detention which, according to international law, should only be used when security makes this absolutely necessary rather than as routine practice, and as a preventative rather than punitive measure.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israel about thecase of a 17 year old Palestinian who has been held in detention for one year without charge in Israel.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to have strong concerns about reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian minors in Israeli military detention, and regularly make representations to the Israeli authorities. Most recently, officials from our Embassy in Tel Aviv raised our concerns with the Israeli Ministry of Justice on 6 June, and we continue to seek improvements to Israeli practices.

West Bank: Israel

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israelabout reports that a Palestinian nature reserve, wells, and trees, have been destroyed by Israeli forces near Yatta in the West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We continue to raise with our Israeli counterparts our concerns about the humanitarian and environmental impact of the damage to water sources and the destruction of Palestinian agricultural land that has been caused by the occupation, and settlement-related activity. Demolitions and evictions also jeopardise the viability of a future Palestinian state. We have repeatedly made clear to the Israeli authorities our serious concern at the increase in demolitions of Palestinian properties and call on them to cease the policy of demolitions and provide a clear, transparent route to construction for Palestinians.

Israel: Bedouin

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatsteps they intend to take to prevent the Bedouin village of Um Al-Kheir in the South Hebron Hills being demolished by Israeli forces.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are deeply concerned that demolitions and evictions of villages in the West Bank have a devastating impact on the communities concerned and will likely open the way for further settlement expansion – endangering the viability of the two-state solution. We have been clear about our grave concerns with the Israeli authorities and we regularly raise the matter through our Embassy in Tel Aviv.

Mohammed Samir Obeid

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israelabout reports that it has not released the body of Mohammed Samir Obeidwho was killed by Israeli forces.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We are aware of reports about Mohammed Samir Obeid. While we have not raised the case, we will continue to monitor the situation. We urge all sides to treat the dead with respect and urge Israel to return any bodies they are holding.

Israel: Palestinians

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they intend to make to the government of Israelabout reports that a 10 year old Palestinian child was shot in the head during a peaceful procession in Kufur Qaddoum in the northern West Bank.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have repeatedly made clear to Israel our concerns about the use of live ammunition by the Israel Defense Forces in response to protests. In particular we have stressed the importance of protecting civilians, especially children and medical personnel. Palestinians have the right to protest peacefully. We have also been clear that Israel has the right to protect itself. While we recognise Israel's legitimate need to deploy security measures, we encourage them to deploy these in a way which minimises tension and use appropriate force. In instances where there have been accusations of excessive use of force, we have advocated swift, transparent investigations. We regularly raise our concerns with the Israeli authorities about their treatment of Palestinian minors.

Israel: European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation's compliance with Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rightsfollowing its cancellation of a planned conference in Israel allegedly due to fear of pressure from anti-Israel activists.

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the European Network for Mental Health Service Evaluation's compliance withthe Principle of Universality of Science and Academic Freedom following its cancellation of a planned conference in Israel alledgedly due to fear of pressure from anti-Israel activists.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The UK is strongly opposed to the Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions Movement against Israel. Boycotts divide people and reduce understanding, but ultimately it will be the decision of an individual, organisation or company whether to operate in Israel. We believe the best way to combat this movement is through discussion rather than legislation.

Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal

lord jopling: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Baroness Goldie on 2 July (HL Deb, col 1344), what representations they have made to the government of China with regard to the statement by the Hong Kong Final Court of Appeal that “it replaced the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London in the highest appellate court in Hong Kong after 30 June 1997”.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Prior to the handover in 1997, the British Government had detailed discussions with the Chinese Government related to the establishment of a Court of Final Appeal in Hong Kong. I am not aware of any specific representations made by the British Government to the Chinese Government about a statement made by the Court of Final Appeal.

Egypt: Political Prisoners

lord luce: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Egypt concerning access to medical services in prison for Dr Aboul Fotouh and other political prisoners.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We have been closely engaged on the case of Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh. Officials raised his case with Egyptian authorities on 4 July in London and on 7 July in Cairo. We will continue to urge the Egyptian authorities to ensure all detainees are treated in accordance with relevant international human right standards and to highlight the importance of access to medical care.

Department of Health and Social Care

Gender Recognition: Children

lord lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyintend to publish the results of the research project started in 2011 by the NHS Gender Identity Development Service Early pubertal suppression in a carefully selected group of adolescents with gender identity disorder; andif not, whether they will arrange for the data gathered by that study to be made available to other researchers.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 May 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The research is an ethically approved study being carried out by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust since 2011, which is the largest provider of services for the alleviation of gender dysphoria in the United Kingdom.The study will evaluate early pubertal suppression in a carefully selected group of adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. There are 44 young people taking part in the study.The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust has plans to publish the data on the blocker and cross-sex hormones, for those who were appropriate for this, asonce all of the young people in the study have reached thisthe stage. when a clinical decision is made about moving from pubertal suppressants to cross-sex hormones, which the Trust expects to occur in the next 12 months.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The research is an ethically approved study being carried out by the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust since 2011, which is the largest provider of services for the alleviation of gender dysphoria in the United Kingdom.The study will evaluate early pubertal suppression in a carefully selected group of adolescents with a clinical diagnosis of gender dysphoria. There are 44 young people taking part in the study.The Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust has plans to publish the data on the blocker and cross-sex hormones, for those who were appropriate for this, asonce all of the young people in the study have reached thisthe stage. when a clinical decision is made about moving from pubertal suppressants to cross-sex hormones, which the Trust expects to occur in the next 12 months.

Food: Hygiene

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to mandating the display of food hygiene ratings on online food delivery services.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.Food businesses covered by the scheme are provided with stickers showing their rating. Those in Wales and Northern Ireland are already required by law to display the stickers at their premises, while those in England are encouraged to do so.The case for extending mandatory display to England is being finalised by the FSA for ministerial consideration and ultimately cross-Government approval.For businesses offering online ordering of food, legislation requiring provision of the rating at the point of choice is expected to be introduced in Northern Ireland once the Assembly is back in operation.In Wales, the FSA and Welsh Government are working to address a FSA recommendation to the National Assembly for Wales to explore the introduction of a similar requirement for businesses in Wales that use online food ordering platforms. Proposals will be presented to Welsh Ministers in due course.For England, provision of food hygiene ratings online will be considered in the case being finalised for ministers.

Food: Hygiene

baroness doocey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of online food outlets that do not display their food hygiene ratings.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme is operated by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) in partnership with local authorities across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.For businesses offering online ordering of food, legislation requiring provision of the rating at the point of choice is expected to be introduced in Northern Ireland once the Assembly is back in operation and Wales are exploring the introduction of a similar legislative requirement.The case for extending mandatory display to England is being finalised by the FSA for ministerial consideration and ultimately cross-Government approval. As increasing numbers of food businesses provide online ordering services for consumers, for England, provision of food hygiene ratings online will be considered in the case being finalised for ministers.To date the FSA has not undertaken any research to assess the proportion of online food businesses that display ratings, but work is underway to develop methodology to monitor this.

Skin Cancer

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the reported increase in diagnosed cases of skin cancer and their possible relationship to cheap package flight holidays; whatwas the cost to the NHS of treating patients with skin cancer in each of the last five years for which figures are available; andwhat plans they have, if any, for an educational campaign to inform travellers on the correct use of sun screening products.

baroness blackwood of north oxford: Public Health England (PHE) has not carried out an assessment of the possible relationship between cheap package flight holidays and diagnosed cases of skin cancer.NHS England and NHS Improvement are unable to break down funding levels for individual cancer types.PHE has provided advice for adults and children on sunscreen and sun safety in the United Kingdom and abroad. Advice states that people should not rely on sunscreen alone to protect themselves from the sun. People should wear suitable clothing and spend time in the shade when the sun is at its hottest. When buying sunscreen, the label should have: a sun protection factor of at least 30 to protect against UVB at least 4-star UVA protection.The use of sunscreen is just one of the protection measures that travellers should consider when visiting sunny areas. PHE encourages travellers to make use of the ultraviolet index information from its measurement sites.

Ministry of Justice

Sexual Offences

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to (1) introduce tougher sentences for sex offenders, and (2) stop sex offenders being granted parole.

lord keen of elie: The Sexual Offences Act 2003 provides for a range of sexual offences which rightly carry robust penalties to deal with this serious offending – including some which carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. Since 2010, the average length of a custodial sentence for sex offenders has increased by more than 25 per cent. Sentencing in individual cases is a matter for the independent judiciary, who take into account the full facts of each case. The courts are required to follow any guidelines produced by the independent Sentencing Council relevant to the case before them, including the definitive guideline on Sexual Offences.For those who receive a life sentence, they must serve the minimum term in prison required by the sentencing court, following which they will only be released by the independent Parole Board if the Board is satisfied they no longer need to be detained for the protection of the public. Other sex offenders may receive an Extended Determinate Sentence (EDS) if the court considers they could pose an ongoing risk. In those cases, the offender must serve at least two-thirds of the custodial term in prison and will only be released before the end of the full custodial term if the Parole Board is satisfied it would be safe to do soThe Government has no current plans to abolish the possibility of parole for offenders serving these types of sentences. Offenders should rightly be punished for their offences, but once they have served their punishment they should only continue to be held in prison if their risk remains too high for them to be released.

Offenders: Death

lord ramsbotham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in conducting a national review of deaths under post-release probation supervision, as stated in their response to the 12th report of the Health and Social Care Select CommitteePrison Health(HC Paper 963).

lord keen of elie: In our response to the Health and Social Care Select Committee the Government committed to undertake a review of deaths under post release supervision during 2019-20. Scoping work has been undertaken, and the full review is on track to be completed within this time period. This is in addition to the existing requirement on all probation providers to conduct an internal review following each death, and to share learning from these reviews. The number of deaths of offenders under post-release supervision decreased from 401 in 2016/17 to 367 in 2017/18, a fall of 8%. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy identifies people in contact with the criminal justice system as a high-risk group, and we recognise that the time following release from prison can be a particularly high-risk period for suicide and for deaths from other causes. The primary role of probation is to protect the public and prevent re-offending, and people under supervision in the community are not in the care of HM Prison and Probation Service in the way that they are when in custody. While probation staff do everything they can to help offenders find access to vital services including healthcare, housing, and treatment for drug and alcohol problems, they do not have sole responsibility for caring for them. The national review aims to identify what further actions may be appropriate to prevent offenders’ deaths, while recognising that a range of other organisations share responsibility for their wellbeing. We are also investing an extra £22m in ‘through-the-gate’ assistance for offenders, to help them find the support they need on issues such as housing, healthcare and employment, and they have the same access to these services as any other person in the community.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Hunting

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce legislation to ban the import of hunting trophies into the UK.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to work with other governments, including (1) the government of South Africa, and (2) the government the United States, to end canned hunting.

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will introduce legislation to prohibit individuals who have been engaged in trophy hunting from entering the UK.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government takes the conservation of endangered species seriously, with imports of hunting trophies into the UK subject to strict controls under the EU Wildlife Trade Regulations. The UK is also continuing to work hard on the international stage to agree tough, transparent, global standards on trophy hunting to make sure hunting safeguards are of the highest standard and there is no impact on the sustainability of the species concerned. We will continue to discuss this with other countries.

Hunting

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to work with other governments to include a ban on hunting trophies in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

lord gardiner of kimble: There are no proposals tabled at the CITES CoP18 on this issue.

Giraffes: Conservation

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take to work with other governments to classify giraffes as an endangered species.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Government takes the conservation of endangered species seriously and is also guided by evidence. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is internationally recognised for its work in identifying the conservation status of species, known as the “Red List”. IUCN currently classifies Giraffes as ‘Vulnerable’. For the extinction risk of Giraffes to be increased to ‘Endangered’ the species must meet several additional classification criteria, for example a considerable reduction in population size must be seen.

Litter: Waste Disposal

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey are taking to make it easier for citizens to help keep land and roads clear of litter by ensuring Councils and Highways England carry out their obligations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

lord gardiner of kimble: Under section 91 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, any person who is aggrieved by the want of cleanliness of any relevant land or highway may bring proceedings in the magistrates’ court against the body responsible for cleaning it. In the Litter Strategy, we made a commitment to review, by the end of this Parliament, the mechanism by which councils and other land-managers can be held to account for maintaining their land to the standards set out in the Code of Practice, considering a range of options to make it easier for citizens to hold land‑managers to account for delivering their responsibilities.

Sewage: Water Treatment

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to Written Answer byLord Gardiner of Kimble on 10 July (HL16703), whether an individual employee could be held accountable and penalised for providing false data about sewage spills to Ofwat.

lord gardiner of kimble: Under section 207(1) of the Water Industry Act 1991, it is a criminal offence to knowingly or recklessly provide information under the Act that is false in a material respect. Proceedings for an offence under section 207(1) can be brought by or with the consent of the Secretary of State or of the Director of Public Prosecutions. A conviction is punishable by a fine. Proceedings could be taken against an individual or the company. Ofwat is not a criminal enforcement body, so has no role in bringing proceedings under section 207(1).

Trees: Diseases

lord harries of pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what lessons were learnt as a result of the loss of English elm trees as a result of Dutch elm disease; and whether those lessons are being applied to ash dieback.

lord gardiner of kimble: Safeguarding plant health remains one of Defra’s top priorities. The full findings from Government funded research into the lessons learned from the UK Dutch elm disease outbreak were published by Imperial College in 2011 and an independent taskforce on Tree Health and Plant Biosecurity was convened after the arrival of ash dieback in 2012. The Government has implemented all of the recommendations of the taskforce, including appointment of the Chief Plant Health Officer, development of a prioritised risk register, strengthened border security, import regulations and governance arrangements. The Tree Health Resilience Strategy - the first major publication to come out of the 25-Year Environment Plan sets out a new proactive approach to tree health, with landowners, charities, the public and government working together to take actions to build resilience against pests and diseases to protect the nation’s trees.

Dutch Elm Disease

lord harries of pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to develop a strain of English elm which is resistant to Dutch elm disease; and what success they have had.

lord gardiner of kimble: English Elm (a form of Ulmus minor) is not a native tree and was likely introduced to Britain from Italy by the Romans. The most successful breeding programmes for resistant elms currently operate in Italy, Spain and North America. Resistant elm cultivars have been available for some time, including a series of cultivars of U. minor produced by the Spanish elm breeding programme which show high resistance to Dutch elm disease. Trials of resistant elms in the UK were initiated in Hampshire in 2000. The most recent report from these trials was produced by Butterfly Conservation this year.

Dutch Elm Disease

lord harries of pentregarth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what, if any, was the policy for planting new trees after the losses caused by Dutch elm disease.

lord gardiner of kimble: The National Tree Planting Year of 1973, with its slogan of Plant a tree in ’73, was the Government-sponsored tree planting campaign initiated to compensate for the loss of trees caused by Dutch elm disease. The Forestry Commission donated some 90,000 trees to schools and a further 70,000 for joint projects with local authorities, as did other organisations including the Crown Estate Commissioners. It also led to the founding of the Tree Council, with Government backing, as the umbrella body for organisations involved in tree planting, care and conservation. The Forestry Commission has an ongoing programme of grants schemes available for planting, subject to specific criteria and subject to an obligation to manage woodlands with sound forestry practice.

Home Office

Thames House: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 June (HL15952), on what basis pedestrian access has now been restored; whether there was a revised security assessment conducted; and if so, what new evidence came to light in any such assessment to inform the change to the pedestrian access.

baroness williams of trafford: As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies including the security of their buildings. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Thames House: Pedestrian Areas

lord blencathra: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 7 June (HL15952), what (1) qualifications are held, and (2) training was undertaken, by those involved in the decision to alter pedestrian access around the works.

baroness williams of trafford: As has been the policy of successive governments, the government does not comment on matters relating to the intelligence agencies including the security of their buildings. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament scrutinises the policies, expenditure, administration and operations of the intelligence agencies on behalf of Parliament.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Art Works

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 15 July (HL17173, HL17174, and HL17175),whether any compensation paid to civil servants has been indicated in the Northern Ireland Office accounting records.

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 15 July (HL17173, HL17174, and HL17175), whether a decision was made to remove images of the Royal Family in Stormont House; if so, who made that decision; and whether any Northern Ireland Office ministers intend to review that policy.

lord rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Duncan of Springbank on 15 July (HL17173, HL17174, and HL17175),how levels of any compensation paid to civil servants for alleged offences caused by the display of images of the Royal Family in publicly funded buildings are calculated.

lord duncan of springbank: Any compensation payments would be accounted for by the Northern Ireland Office in line with the guidance in Managing Public Money. Individual payments of more than the threshold required under Managing Public Money would be noted separately. Any compensation paid in respect of litigation would be determined with reference to legal advice. In line with previous responses, the Northern Ireland Office will keep its obligations under review to ensure its requirements under fair employment legislation are met. As I answered previously, information on employees’ personal data is sensitive, in order to comply with DPA requirements, and so I am unable to comment further. Images displayed in Stormont House are refreshed at regular intervals. Current images displayed reflect the culture and landscapes of Northern Ireland. These are in keeping with the rest of the building decor. We have no plans to review this policy. Royal portraits hang on public display at Hillsborough Castle, and also in the London Office occupied by the Northern Ireland Office. Other pictures of the Queen are displayed at Stormont House.